Back in the fall of 2009 one the coolest things happened to us here on the property: We discovered a road that probably had not seen human traffic in 70 years. We called it “The Lost Road” and had a great time inviting friends to see it, marveling at how scary it was, and cleaning it.

Never has so much fun been had over what is a fairly small patch of dirt.

Set back by illness and by a toddler who could get really lost on The Lost Road, our Lost Road explorations came to a halt sometime in 2010, much to my chagrin. (We had so much fun.) The road is seasonal to start. Friends have visited in the summer ready for a hike on the famous-to-some road only to change their minds when they realized the path was populated by poison oak and snakes. Poison oak is dormant in the winter and yet still carries a bite, but somehow not actually being able to see the leaves makes the hike a bit more enjoyable (though perhaps more risky if you don’t have a good eye for bare red sticks).

In any case, the cold months here are the months of The Lost Road. Its time has come again.

In a fun “coming of age” moment, I sat the former-toddler-turned-preschooler down with his Lost Road-experienced brother and we read the old posts about our adventures. I deemed Alastair old enough to join us if he could follow instructions carefully and promise never to go by himself. he has some understanding of “death by wild animal” growing up in a forest and displays some general caution. He seems to be ready.

It is hard to believe, but stage coaches used to carry very rich people on this road to visit the house. Today the road is our only hope for a fire break. Haig takes out bay trees which act as a fire ladder leading right to the old servant's quarters. The "lost road" is about twenty feet behind Frederick in this picture. This part of the old road is located at the very top of the driveway in this historic picture.

Our recent discovery of the "lost road" on our property could only happen on property with rugged and wild terrain. (Though it is still a bit embarrassing that it took the Rose Family 27 years to discover it.) My running around with the mountain lions and bears here in the Sequoia National Forest inspired my Christmas gift: a set of walkie talkies. If I hang myself on the 200 feet of rope we have strung up to help us get around the terrain, I can get one last choking message in.

We considered getting a set of five walkies but thought that might be a waste of money. In a moment that may reveal my advancing age, I was processing aloud just how many walkies we need, realizing as well the idiocy of my thoughts.

The boys made some new discoveries yesterday on a hike of the historic driveway. Seven-year-old Frederick went to sleep crying that he may have killed the beautiful purple mushroom he found. By chance, Frederick is also learning how to use a dictionary and thesaurus this week. God forbid he should look up "purple mushroom" in the Urban Dictionary (X-rated link alert), but it would fit with our brothel history.